


a shining in the shadows

by louminosity



Series: hopeless hearts just passing through [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Background Poly, Cedric Diggory Lives, Established Relationship, Fanatical Fics's Halloween Competition 2020, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Multi, Not Canon Compliant, Podcast: Fanatical Fics and Where to Find Them, Post-Hogwarts, Professor Cedric Diggory, Professor Harry Potter, folks we angsting about jily this halloween and every halloween
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:41:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27317920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/louminosity/pseuds/louminosity
Summary: halloween is always a little bit bleak for harry. his partners try their best to alleviate that.
Relationships: Cedric Diggory/Harry Potter, background Cho Chang/Cedric Diggory/Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley
Series: hopeless hearts just passing through [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1996792
Comments: 3
Kudos: 25
Collections: Fanatical Fics Halloween Writing Competition 2020





	a shining in the shadows

**Author's Note:**

> hi here we are again with another fanatical fics discord writing comp submission! 
> 
> i had a lot of ideas for this fic, but couldn't quite fit all of it under the word limit, so a second part may be coming soon! hope you enjoy!
> 
> title insp: home - gabrielle aplin

Harry shifted uncomfortably.

Surprisingly, or rather unsurprisingly, a pile of leaves wasn't the _greatest_ place to sit on for a long period of time. Especially with the "bony arse" his partners loved to tease him about. He shivered as a cold wind swept through. His hands moved to settle the bouquets he brought back to their resting place. The stone-cold resting place.

_James Potter. Lily Evans Potter._

Harry let out an uneasy breath. The cold air made it visible. As he's gotten older—specifically, another year older than his parents were when they died—this time of year was always difficult, May 2nd just barely edging it out. He's visited every Halloween since that first time with Hermione. Alone, though. He knew his partners or his friends would be more than happy to accompany him but this was something he needed to do alone. He needed the time. To mourn? To honor their memory? He still wasn't sure. He usually didn't talk to them either. Today was no different. What could he say? He was never one for big emotional monologues. Nor was he one to babble about his day. Even if he was, it seemed wrong to. To speak of things they could no longer see or respond in a way that mattered. They were dead.

Movement involuntarily caught his eye, his Seeker training never quite left him. As much as he missed being out on the pitch, he'll leave the actual gameplay to Ginny and Cho these days. He makes a mental note to look at the schedule of who's supporting who at Ginny and Cho's next games before diverting his attention to Kreacher, who had just Apparated in the line of Harry's vision.

"Master," Kreacher croaked. "It is time. It has been three hours."

"Thanks Kreacher." Harry shakily stood and winced. Even though he's only been teaching Defense for the past five years, the implementation of more hands-on activities and duelling work in his classes had his body feeling the effects. He was glad Halloween took place on a weekend this year. After last week's incident with his fourth year class, he wasn't sure if he could match his students' energy and excitement about the upcoming holidays. Harry took Kreacher's hand. With a _Pop!_ , they landed in the Hogwarts kitchens, where many house-elves were busy making last minute preparations for the Halloween feast. Pot roast, roasted vegetables, mashed potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, pumpkin pasties, pies, and other platters of food were warm and waiting to be charmed to the Great Hall.

"Would you like anything to eat, Master? You haven't eaten anything since morning and it's almost suppertime. Are you joining the Halloween feast?" Kreacher asked. Harry felt his stomach grumble and began to reply, but a voice stopped him.

"It's alright, Kreacher. We'll be sure to feed him. I'm taking our golden boy back home."

Harry snorted while turning around, his mouth shifting into a smile. "If anyone was the epitome of a golden boy, it would be _you._ Triwizard Champion, lead flying instructor, and soon-to-be Head of Hufflepuff House."

Cedric smiled sheepishly as he walked closer to Harry, one of his hands rubbing the back of his neck. "Just because Professor Sprout— Nope, _Pomona_. Merlin, I'm still not used to that. Anyway, just because _Pomona_ is retiring next year doesn't guarantee I'll be Head of Hufflepuff."

"Yes, yes, of course. Whatever you say, Professor Diggory." Harry nodded solemnly but his mouth broadened into a smile as Cedric kissed the top of his head and wrapped his arms around him. In the the warmth of Cedric's arms, Harry finally felt the weight of the day and the corners of his mouth imperceptibly turned down. Gazing down, Cedric's eyes sharpened and pulled his face away to look Harry over.

"Kreacher," Cedric began, his gaze not leaving Harry, "Could you remind the rest of the professors that we won't be present for the feast?"

Kreacher hesitated but after sharing a look with Cedric, he nodded. "Of course, Master Cedric." And only with the slightest bit of worry, Kreacher Apparated out of the kitchens.

Cedric's voice was steady and quiet as he asked, "Ready to go home?"

They didn't have a habit of going home unless school was on break. With the girls' intensive game and practice schedules, it was hard for everyone to be home at the same time. Halloween was an exception. Not only for Harry's sake, but for Ginny's too. Halloween was the first time the Chamber of Secrets opened all those years ago. According to Cho's letters, Ginny had been feeling restless, not getting enough sleep, and having more nightmares. 

Harry sunk his head deeper into the crook of Cedric's neck and sighed. Cedric's arms reflexively tightened around him and although Harry couldn't see it, Cedric's mouth pressed into a thin line. "Let's go for a walk? I promised Nearly Headless Nick I would stop by his Death Day party," Harry murmured against Cedric's neck.

Despite himself, Cedric lightly chuckled and Harry could feel the rumble against his chest. "It's still a mystery to me why you insist on going every year."

A humorless laugh escaped Harry's mouth as they walked towards the kitchen doors, hands interlinked. "It's as much a mystery to me as it is to you," Harry said.

At Cedric's frown, Harry squeezed his hand, his wedding band pressing into skin. "I promise I'm not doing this just to get out of talking. I just want to save it for when we're with the girls."

Cedric still wasn't convinced. "Okay. But just a quick hello, alright? I remember last year when you were coerced into playing Head Hockey and the girls were livid with us when we came home late, and rightfully so."

Harry laughed. "Well, _I_ wasn't the one who volunteered to play piano for _several_ rounds."

Cedric smiled. "What can I say? When you have a willing audience..."

"Ah, yes. Your _adoring_ fans." Harry swooned, pressing his hand against his forehead. "They were so adoring that they completely ignored you until Peeves _accidentally_ cut some of the piano strings."

"Oh, hush. Might I remind you of the letters we keep getting from _your_ fans?" Cedric said amusedly, raising an eyebrow.

Harry grimaced. "Let's not," he said.

"So long as I'm the number one fan in your heart," Cedric said, fluttering his eyelids.

Harry playfully shoved at Cedric. "Eurgh. I can't believe you just did that. I'm going to tell the girls and they're going to laugh at you."

Cedric laughed. "Go right ahead, but then none of you will get any of my kisses anymore."

Harry gasped dramatically. "How dare you deny us such a necessity? What kind of monster are you?"

Cedric gave him a bemused look. "Enough of one to... Oh hello, Friar. Off to the party?"

Harry blinked and sure enough, the Fat Friar glided towards them, the entrance to Nick's party just ahead. 

"Cedric, my good boy! Good to see you! You as well, Harry. And yes, nothing like a fashionably late entrance to spice things up. When you have been to as many of these as I have..." the Fat Friar chuckled. Cedric hummed noncommittally. "Quite right," Cedric said, "Nick says that he's outdone himself this year."

The Fat Friar chuckled fondly. "He says that every year, the fool. When we all know the Headless Hunt will have their way and start a round of Head Hockey soon enough. Helena and I have a bit of a casual bet on how long it takes. Helena's on a winning streak, so I'm determined to win this time around. You're welcome to chip in once the party settles in."

"Oh, I'm afraid we won't stay long, Friar. Our lovely ladies are waiting for us at home and we would be dreadful husbands if we made them wait much longer," Cedric said charmingly, his thumb drawing circles on Harry's hand both as a calming gesture and a 'be polite, we'll be done soon' gesture. Harry forced a pleasant smile.

"Right you are! As little as I know about marriage, I do know that it's best to not anger your partners unnecessarily," the Fat Friar agreed. The three of them reached the large doors of the dungeon, where two stacks of rotting pumpkins flanked the doors. "Well, here we are, boys. I'll see you inside. I'm rather parched and there is a cup of spiced pumpkin juice calling my name." The Fat Friar floated through the door, leaving Harry and Cedric at the doors.

"Ready?" Cedric asked.

Harry's smile shifted into something soft. "Yeah, I am."

**Author's Note:**

> was a majority of this just me projecting my need for some soft love and physical touch? ...yes.
> 
> but cedric, cho, harry, and ginny deserve this happiness and more!! i will fight for this!!
> 
> anyway, feel free to talk to me on my tumblr (louminously)!


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